Is Beef Worse Than Chicken For Blood Sugar? Study Finds No Difference

For years, people at risk for diabetes have been told to swap their steak for chicken. Now, research suggests that advice might need rethinking.

A study published in Current Developments in Nutrition found that eating six to seven ounces of unprocessed beef daily showed no measurable differences in blood sugar control compared to eating the same amount of chicken. Twenty-four adults with prediabetes who completed the trial showed nearly identical results whether they spent four weeks eating beef or poultry. Researchers found they had virtually the same blood sugar levels, same insulin production, same cholesterol numbers, and same inflammation markers.

The findings add to growing evidence that unprocessed beef, when eaten in fairly normal home-style meals, may not be worse than chicken for blood sugar in the short term. While doctors have long cautioned patients to limit beef based on population studies linking red meat to diabetes, controlled experiments keep coming to a different conclusion: beef and chicken perform equally well.

When Researchers Pitted Beef Against Chicken

In the study, participants ate two beef or chicken entrées daily for 28 days. The meals included fajitas, stews, burgers, burritos, and stir-fry, while the remainder of their diet was otherwise normal. Then they took a 28-day break to reset before switching proteins for another 28 days.

At the end of each period, researchers measured how bodies handled a standard breakfast. They tracked blood sugar, insulin, and markers showing how well the pancreas was functioning. The pancreas matters because its ability to produce insulin determines whether someone with prediabetes crosses into full-blown diabetes.

The results showed no meaningful differences. Fasting blood sugar averaged 117 mg/dL after the beef period and 114 mg/dL after chicken. Blood sugar responses after meals looked essentially the same. Even the pancreas performed identically, producing the right amount of insulin at the right times on both diets.

The study authors found that the beef group consumed significantly more saturated fat than the poultry group. Although the beef phase had higher saturated fat, the study didn’t observe differences in these metabolic markers over those four weeks.

Participants stuck to the plan remarkably well, eating 99-100% of their assigned meals. Only two people reported any side effects, both unrelated to the food.

What This Means for Your Pancreas and Blood Sugar

The pancreas is central to the development of diabetes. When blood sugar rises after a meal, pancreatic cells release insulin to bring it back down. In prediabetes, those cells are already working overtime to compensate for insulin resistance. Eventually, they can’t keep up.

Scientists checked several ways the body manages sugar after a meal, including how hard the pancreas had to work and how well the body responded. They also measured gut hormones that help the pancreas do its job.

Beef and chicken scored the same across the board. The pancreas didn’t care which protein it was processing.

This matters because previous research on red meat and diabetes hasn’t focused much on pancreatic function. Most studies looked at blood sugar and insulin resistance. Only three earlier trials examined whether red meat affects the organ actually responsible for insulin production. This study fills that gap and finds no harm.

Why Popular Health Advice Doesn’t Match the Science

Walk into any doctor’s office with prediabetes, and there’s a good chance you’ll be told to limit red meat. That advice comes from large observational studies showing people who eat the most red meat have higher diabetes rates.

A 2011 analysis in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition tracked three groups totaling thousands of people and found elevated diabetes risk among heavy red meat eaters. Similar studies followed. Public health guidelines responded by recommending less red meat, especially for at-risk individuals.

But those studies don’t prove red meat causes diabetes. They show correlation, not causation. One likely reason: people who eat a lot of red meat in real life may also have other habits that raise diabetes risk: fewer vegetables, more alcohol, less exercise, higher body weight. That makes it hard to pin the blame on meat alone.

Randomized controlled trials eliminate that problem by assigning diets and controlling variables. A 2023 review examined 21 such trials comparing red meat intake to reduced or no red meat. It found no effects on blood sugar, insulin, or long-term blood sugar markers. A 2021 review of 20 trials reached the same conclusion: red meat doesn’t affect glucose control or inflammation when actually tested in controlled conditions.

The gap between observational data and experimental results likely reflects these lifestyle patterns clustering together with red meat consumption.

Beyond Blood Sugar: Cholesterol and Inflammation

The study was funded by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (via the Beef Checkoff), though the authors say the sponsor wasn’t involved in data collection or analysis.

Cholesterol levels stayed stable whether participants ate beef or chicken. Total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and triglycerides all came out the same. The beef diet’s extra saturated fat didn’t translate into worse lipid profiles over the four weeks tested.

Inflammation markers also remained unchanged. Researchers measured C-reactive protein, a general inflammation indicator that rises with cardiovascular disease risk. They checked IL-6 and TNF-alpha, signaling molecules involved in immune responses. They tested fibrinogen, a clotting protein that increases with inflammation. None showed differences between diets.

These findings align with other research. A 36-week study compared lean red meat to white meat in people with high cholesterol and found identical improvements in cholesterol levels on both diets. When participants switched proteins halfway through, the pattern repeated exactly.

Studies testing different amounts of beef within healthy eating patterns also show consistent results. One trial compared the DASH diet (designed to lower blood pressure) with three different daily beef amounts: 1 ounce, 4 ounces, or 5.4 ounces. After five weeks on each diet, blood sugar, insulin, and inflammation markers stayed the same regardless of beef intake.

What People Managing Prediabetes Should Know

Prediabetes is common, and many people don’t realize they have it. The condition means blood sugar levels run higher than normal but haven’t reached diabetes levels yet. Without intervention, a substantial portion of people with prediabetes eventually develop type 2 diabetes.

Standard dietary advice for prediabetes emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and “lean proteins” while limiting red meat, added sugars, and refined carbs. This study suggests that unprocessed beef can fit into that framework without undermining metabolic health over the short term.

The key distinction is “unprocessed.” The beef in this study was plain meat with simple seasonings, worked into participants’ usual diets. That’s different from fast food burgers or processed meats like bacon and deli slices that contain added sodium and preservatives. Studies consistently show stronger links between processed meats and diabetes than between plain beef and diabetes.

A Mediterranean-style trial gave participants either 500 grams per week of red meat or 200 grams (with extra poultry to compensate). After 18 weeks, blood sugar and insulin levels matched between groups despite the higher red-meat diet containing more saturated fat.

Another study provided 150 grams (about 5 ounces) of lean beef daily as part of an overall healthy eating pattern. After five weeks, insulin sensitivity and pancreatic function remained normal.

What Researchers Still Don’t Know

The four-week timeframe captures immediate effects but can’t predict what happens over years. Diabetes develops slowly as pancreatic cells gradually decline. Longer trials would clarify whether small differences emerge over months or years.

The study also skewed male (71% men, 29% women) and excluded people who already had diabetes or heart disease. Results might not apply equally to women or people with more advanced metabolic problems.

Researchers compared beef only to chicken, not to plant proteins like beans or lentils. One 16-week study found plant-based diets improved pancreatic function in overweight adults, but that trial changed multiple dietary components at once, making it impossible to isolate the protein source as the deciding factor.

The trial couldn’t monitor every meal participants ate outside the provided entrées. While the 99-100% adherence rate and food diaries suggest good compliance, a feeding study with complete meal control would provide more certainty.

Most importantly, this research examined unprocessed beef prepared simply and eaten as part of participants’ regular diets. Whether the same results would hold for beef consumed differently, such as breaded, fried, or as part of meals heavy in refined carbs and sodium, remains unknown.

The Bottom Line

For people managing prediabetes, this study offers reassurance that moderate amounts of unprocessed beef don’t appear to compromise blood sugar control or metabolic health over four weeks. The evidence increasingly points away from red meat as a singular problem and toward overall eating patterns, physical activity, and body weight as more decisive factors in diabetes prevention.

That doesn’t mean people should eat steak for every meal. But it does suggest that the protein source may matter less than the total diet quality. Over a month, beef eaten as part of regular meals appeared metabolically equivalent to chicken in that same context.

The disconnect between population studies and controlled trials likely reflects the company red meat keeps in typical American diets. People who eat lots of beef often eat less fiber, fewer vegetables, and more processed foods, a pattern that genuinely does raise diabetes risk. But when researchers control for those factors and test beef directly against chicken over a short period, the differences vanish.

This study doesn’t make beef “healthy” on its own. It suggests that, over four weeks, plain beef didn’t look worse than chicken on the blood-sugar measures researchers tracked. Longer trials would help clarify whether that equivalence holds over months or years.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. People with prediabetes or diabetes should consult their healthcare provider before making dietary changes. This study examined only unprocessed beef over a four-week period and cannot determine long-term health effects or outcomes for all individuals.

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